Homeowners and businesses are set to benefit from a cross-border project where local authorities will demonstrate best practice for reducing energy costs.

Ten local authorities, seven in Northern Ireland and three in the Republic of Ireland, selected five of their most energy hungry buildings, fifty buildings in total, to undergo detailed energy audits.

As a result of the energy audits, nine buildings were selected to undergo upgrades to building fabric and building services to reduce the energy consumption.

One of the buildings selected for an energy upgrade is Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre, involving the installation of an energy efficient LED lighting system, which is currently nearing completion.

The refurbishment of the lighting throughout the older part of the conference centre is expected to significantly reduce electricity consumption on site as well dramatically increase the lighting levels throughout the centre.

Another feature of the building upgrades will be a visitor experience display screen in the building foyer which, through collaboration with project partners Dundalk Institute of Technology, will provide monitoring of the building’s energy meters allowing visitors to see a ‘live’ display of the building’s energy performance, comparing live data with historical energy consumption and carbon emissions data.

It is expected that the project works will showcase best practice and the renewable technologies most suited to the local climate to local SME’s and homeowners alike.

Craigavon Borough Council representative of East Border Region Alderman Arnold Hatch, added: “We have almost completed the new lighting throughout the building and it has made a significant difference for both staff and visitors. Not only is the lighting much brighter but as it is energy efficient it will significantly reduce our overall lighting costs.”

The cross-border initiative, the Energy Efficiency and Micro-Generation Project, funded through the European Union’s INTERRREG IVA programme started in the East Border Region in 2011.